"If I am pure, then let me dissolve in this very moment."
Thirty-five artists, including Manisha Jha, a Mithila painting artist from Satlakha in Madhubani district and founder of the Madhubani Art Centre in Delhi, came to the Bihar Museum to depict scenes from the life of Sita, who they consider Bihar's daughter and an ecofeminist and a woman who personified dignity and empowerment. Vaidehi Sita, the exhibition, curated for the museum's foundation day on August 7, is a brave endeavour because of the politicisation of Lord Ram in recent times.
Outlook speaks with Manisha Jha about her work depicting the scenes of Lanka Dahan and Sita’s return to the Earth from which she was born.
Reporter: Kaveri Mishra
Camera: Suresh Pandey
Thirty-five artists, including Manisha Jha, a Mithila painting artist from Satlakha in Madhubani district and founder of the Madhubani Art Centre in Delhi, came to the Bihar Museum to depict scenes from the life of Sita, who they consider Bihar's daughter and an ecofeminist and a woman who personified dignity and empowerment. Vaidehi Sita, the exhibition, curated for the museum's foundation day on August 7, is a brave endeavour because of the politicisation of Lord Ram in recent times.
Outlook speaks with Manisha Jha about her work depicting the scenes of Lanka Dahan and Sita’s return to the Earth from which she was born.
Reporter: Kaveri Mishra
Camera: Suresh Pandey
Category
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CreativityTranscript
00:00My name is Manisha Jha. I am from Satlakha village, Madhubani district. I live in Delhi.
00:11I have been making Mithila paintings for the last 40 years. I am the founder of Madhubani
00:18Art Centre, which promotes Madhubani paintings in Delhi.
00:23This workshop is a very special workshop in itself.
00:28Because here we are all making paintings on Sita Mahiya, doing embroidery, doing applique.
00:36So we are all working on Sita Mahiya.
00:39I have made two paintings in this workshop.
00:42One painting is called From Earth to Earth, in which I have shown Sita Mahiya going to earth.
00:50This is a very magical scene.
00:55When two very talented boys, Ram and Lakshman, stop the horse of the Ashwamedha Yajna.
01:06And defeat the whole army.
01:08Then Ram and Lakshman themselves come to see who is such a talented boy.
01:14When they come to see Sita Mahiya, they understand that they are her sons.
01:19At that time, Ram and Lakshman feel very happy.
01:25And they request Sita Mahiya to come with them.
01:28But they again put a condition, that there will be a kind of test.
01:33So this thing touches Sita Mahiya from within.
01:37And she says that if I am pure, then at this time, I should settle on earth.
01:42And at the same time, Prithvi Maa takes her daughter back.
01:49She sits on her lap.
01:51And I have shown in Love Kush, that they try to catch their mother.
01:56Because for children, the mother is the most important.
01:59So this is a very important scene of Ramayana.
02:05I believe in Ramayana that Sita Mahiya was a woman who chose her life by herself.
02:17So in English, it was called the girl who chose.
02:20I am making this painting in natural color.
02:23I have painted the canvas with cow dung.
02:26And I am making this painting on the Lankan festival.
02:29So this is also a very interesting scene.
02:31Hanuman ji finds Sita Mahiya and goes to Ashok Vatika.
02:37He talks to her.
02:39And then he takes Chudavani from her.
02:42And then he thinks that he should meet Ravan.
02:45So he picks up all the trees.
02:48Akshay Kumar, son of Ravan, is sent there.
02:52And he is killed.
02:54Then Indrajit comes, who was the past mother-in-law of Brahma.
02:58So he ties Hanuman ji to Brahmapash.
03:03Hanuman ji could have broken it.
03:05But Brahma ji had a lot of respect.
03:08So he did not break Brahmapash.
03:10And he drags him to Ravan's court in Lanka.
03:14So in my painting, you will be able to see Ravan's court.
03:18And Ravan tells him to kill him.
03:21But Vibhishan says at that time that we cannot kill any messenger.
03:26So he sets his tail on fire.
03:28So he sets his tail on fire.
03:30But Brahmapash is not broken.
03:32And he comes out in a subtle form and sets Lanka on fire.
03:40And on one side I have shown that Sita Mahiya is worshipping fire.
03:44So she tells Agni Devta to become a cool fire.
03:48So Hanuman ji does not burn.
03:50But Lanka burns.
03:52So this is my painting.
03:54And on top of it, you will see a very big Hanuman ji flying.
03:57Who is taking Chudamani to Lord Ram.